Lenten Array ... one that got away

Fairford Gloucestershire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum (Allan Barton).

I fully intended to post this photograph during Lent. The Lady altar in the Tame chapel at Fairford in Gloucestershire has a reredos of 1913 by Geoffrey Webb, covered during Lent with Lenten Array. The reredos veil is decorated with a central rood group in grisaille with Oxblood stencelling around it. The tabernacle containing the image of Our Lady, that forms an upper level of the reredos, is enclosed with doors and the backs of the doors are also stencilled. Sadly these seems to be the extent of the surviving array, the blue frontal remains in place during Lent, as does the very festal dorsal with its armorial embroidery. Consequently the veiling rather loses its impact.

If you want to see an image or two of the reredos and the image of Our Lady uncovered, there are a couple of nice photos on Brother Lawrence Lew's photostream. Here and here.